President Obama Will Unveil Energy Plans

President Obama will flesh out the energy goals he laid out during his State of the Union address today. He'll start talking about natural gas in a UPS Facility in Nevada and continue on to the Buckley Air Force base in Aurora, Colo., where the Air Force is installing a one-megawatt solar array.

Reuters reports that in Las Vegas, Obama will propose a tax credit that helps offset the upfront costs of buying natural gas trucks.

"Obama will discuss his energy plans during a visit to a UPS facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, that received stimulus funding to invest in liquefied natural gas vehicles and construct a public LNG refueling station," Reuters reports.

The Hill adds that Obama will also detail his plans to expand offshore drilling:

"The president will also tout the administration's plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, announcing that the Interior Department will hold a lease sale in the Central Gulf of Mexico on June 20, the official said. It's the last lease sale scheduled as part of Interior's draft 2012-2017 offshore leasing plan.

"The offshore drilling plans have been met with criticism from environmental groups, which allege that Obama is pandering to advocates of expanded drilling, and Republicans, who say the president's plans are at odds with his record on energy."

The Wall Street Journal reports that Obama's embrace of natural gas as transportation fuel is new and follows the lead of T. Boone Pickens, the oil-and-gas tycoon who launched a national campaign on the issue.

The Journal also points out that these initiatives need congressional support.